Refrigeration apparatus



Feb. 15, 1944. E. c. TANNER 2,341,962

I REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1WITNESSES: V L INVENTOR 6.14. v W /a2. v BY Feb. 15, 1944. E. c. TANNER2,341,962

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5- 1 ELo C.TANNER. MQML 4%;

Y I A'ITO EY Patented Feb. 15, 1944 REFRIGERATION APPARATUS E 0. Tanner,Springfield, Masa, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & ManufacturingCompany, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationAugust M, 1941, Serial No. 406,755

7 fllaims. (Cil- 62-402) This invention relates to refrigeratingapparatus and more especially to dry coolers for packaged beverages.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dry cooler for packagedbeverages in which a large number of packages are available forselective withdrawal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compactarrangement 'ofthe operating mechanism in a dry cooler for packaged beverages.

- A further object of the invention is to provide means in a dry coolerfor packaged beverages for effecting accelerated cooling in selectedareas of the cooler.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved aircirculating path in a dry cooler for packaged beverages.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for reducingheat leakage through the joints between a refrigerator door and theedges of the door opening.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1' is a vertical sectional view of the dry cooler of thisinvention;

' Fig. 2 is a section on the line IIH of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of a fastening device on the deflector.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention,the referenc numeral Ill designates a rectangular, open-toppedrefrigerator cabinet which is divided into an insulated bottle-coolingcompartment II and a machine compartment l2 below the bottle-coolingcompartment I I. The top of the bottle-cooling compartment I l is closedby an insulated and jointed cover l3. A rubber sealing gasket 25 isprovided at the joints between the cover l3 and the cabinet Ill and thejoint between the two sections of the cover I3. The bottle-coolingcompartment H comprises two side walls 14 and I5, two end walls I6 andii, and a bottom wall l8. A foraminated platform I9 is positioned bysupporting pins 38 a spaced distance above the bottom wall- A flat,inclined cooling unit 2| extends upwardlyfrom the edge of the platform19 adjacent to the end wall IE to adjacent the upper edge of the endwall I6. The cooling unit 2! extends sidewardly to the side walls M andI5. The cooling unit 2| comprises a plurality of spaced-apart sheetmetal strips 22 through which a metal tube 23 is passed back and forth.A vertical partition 24 extends upwardly from the platform at the loweredge of the cooling unit 21 to adjacent the cover I3 of the cabinet l0and an extension at the central portion of the upper edge of thepartition is bent downwardly at an angle slightly beyond the horizontalto form an air baffle 26.

An opening 27 is provided in the upper central portion of the partition24,-and a propeller fan 28 is positioned in the opening 21. Thepropeller fan 28 is secured to a shaft 29 of an electric mo- .tor 3|which drives the fan 28. The motor 3! is secured between the partitionand the cooling unit by brackets 32.

A shelf 33 is supported on pins 34 adjacent the side wall l5 and extendsfrom the side wall 15 into the bottle cooling compartment II a distanceequal to about one-third the width thereof. The shelf 33 is spaced fromthe platform I!) and the cover l3 to provide storage spaces of equalheight above and below the shelf 33. A similar shelf 36 is supported onpins 31 adjacent the side wall The space between the Id of the cabinetI0. shelves 33 and 36 is equal to about one-third the width of thebottle-cooling compartment ll.

The fan 28 draws air through the cooling unit 2| from the air duct 20between the platform l9 and the bottom wall l8 of the bottle-cooling compartment I l and directs the air in a substantially horizontal streamthrough theopening 21, thefan 28 which passage permits the fan 28 toblow an adequate portion of the air to the remote end of thebottle-storage compartment ll so that the chilling effect of the air issubstantially uniform throughout the bottle-cooling compartment I I.

The bottles in this type of a cooler areusually placed upright so thatthe contents thereof are readily identified bythe bottle caps. In thisposition, the bottles even though closely packed, provide vertical airpassages between them through which the air blown into the upper portionof the compartment by the fan circulates to the foraminations in theplatform It.

The baiiie 28 deflects the stream of'air delivered by the fan 28 awayfrom the cover II and from the joint between the cover l3 and thecabinet l and the joint between the two sections of the cover ll. Thesejoints are of relatively lower insulating value and would result in anundue heat leakage if the air stream were permitted to sweep along them.

An additional deflector 39 may be inserted on either side of the fan 28to deflect the chilled air sidewardly to the bottles stored on either ofthe shelves as or 36. This arrangement is useful when warm bottles oneither of the shelves at or 38 are to be cooled quickly. The deflectoris provided with T-shaped securing devices 4| which fit into slots 42 instirrups 43 secured to the partition 24 on both sides of the opening 21.

If the baiile 39 is to be transferred from one side of the opening 21 tothe other, the battle I! is lifted to disengage the T-shaped securingdevices cooling unit 2| through a capillary tube 48. Va-

porized refrigerant returns to the compressor through conduit 49.

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides a coolerfor bottled beverages and the like in which the bottles are so storedthat a large portion of them is available for withdrawal when the coverof the cooler is-opened. This is of advantage if several types ofbeverages are cooled in the same cooler. The cooler is also compactlyarranged and certain areas of the cooler are adapted for acceleratedcooling. It will be further apparent that the air circulating path inthe cooler is not obstructed even though the cooler is loaded tocapacity with bottles.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced'thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cooler for packaged beverages, the combination of a heatinsulated, rectangular chamber having bottom, side, and end walls, and atop wall comprising a door; two shelves in said chamber secured adjacentopposite side walls of the chamber and spaced above the bottom wallthereof and from each other; and means for cooling and circulating theair in said chamber, said means including a fan positioned near an endwall of said chamber and above the space between said two shelves, saidfan blowing the air substantially horizontally and parallel to said sidewalls into said chamber.

2. In a cooler for packaged beverages, the combination of a heatinsulated, rectangular chamber having bottom, side and end walls, and atop wall comprising a door; a perforate platform in said chamber, near,but spaced from the bottom wall thereof to define an air duct therewithand a food storage space above said platform; and means for circulatingand refrigerating the air in said chamber, said means withdrawing theair from the air duct and blowing said air through the upper central Prtion of said food storage space in a direction substantially parallelto the top wall of the chamber.

3. In a cooler for packaged beverages, the combination of a heatinsulated, rectangular chamber having bottom, side and end walls, and atop wall comprising a door; a perforate platform in said chamber,near,but spaced from the bottom wall thereof to define an air ducttherewith and a food storage space abovelsaid platform; means forcirculating and refrigerating the air in said chamber, said meanswithdrawing the air from the air duct and blowing said air through theupper central portion of said food storage space top wall comprising adoor; a perforated plat;

form in said chamber, near, but spaced from the bottom wall thereof todefine an air duct there-v with and a storage space above said platform;a flat, inclined cooling unit having air passages therethroughpositioned with its upper edge adjacent one of said end walls and itslower edge spaced from said one end wall and adjacent said platform; avertical partition in said chamber parallel to said one end wall andextending upwardly from the lower edge of said cooling unit to adjacentthe top wall'of said chamber. said partition having an opening; a fan insaid opening; and a motor for driving said fan located between said fanand said cooling unit.

5. In a cooler for packaged beverages, the combination of aheat-insulated, rectangular chamber having abottom, side, and end wallsand a top wall comprising a door; a perforated platform in said chamber,near, but'spaced-from the bottom wall thereof to define an air ducttherewith and a food-storage space above said platform; a flat inclinedcooling unit having air passages therethrough positioned with its upperedge adjacent one of said end walls and its lower edge spaced from saidone end wall and adjacent said platform: a vertical partition in saidchamber parallel to said one end wall and extending upwardly fromthe'lower edge of said cooling unit to adjacent the top wall of saidchamber, said partition having an opening: two spaced shelves positionedin said chamber intermediate said platform and the top wall of saidchamber; a fan in said opening for blowing an air stream horizontallythrough said chamber above-the space between said two shelves; and abame adjacent to the fan for directing said air stream away from thedoor of said chamber.

6. In a cooler for packaged beverages, the. comcllned cooling unithaving .ainpas'sagea therethrough positioned with its upper edgeadjacent one of said end walls and its lower edge'spaced from said oneend wall and adjacent said platform; a vertical partition in saidchamber parallel to said one end wall and extending upwardly from thelower egige of said cooling unit to adjacent the top wall of saidchamber, said partition having an opening; two spaced shelves positionedin said chamber intermediate said platform and the top wall of saidchamber; a fan in said opening for blowing an air stream horizontallythrough said chamber above the space between said two shelves: and a.removable balfle adjacent to the fan for directing said air streamtowards the storaige space above one of said shelves.

7. In a cooler for packaged beverages the combination of a heatinsulated chamber, a cooling unit for said chamber, a fan in saidchamber for blowing a stream of air horizontally therethrough, meansproviding storage spaces at two opposite sides of said chamber, and aremovable deflector adjacent the fan for directing said air stream aeither to one or the other of said storage spaces.

ELO C. TANNER.

